Thousands Of Tundra Swans Are Headed Straight For Utah This Fall
By Catherine Armstrong|Published October 19, 2019
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Catherine Armstrong
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Writer, editor and researcher with a passion for exploring new places. Catherine loves local bookstores, independent films, and spending time with her family, including Gus the golden retriever, who is a very good boy.
Every fall, thousands of tundra swans fly down from Alaska to Utah to spend the winter. They spend just a couple months at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge before heading to bask in the warmth of central California for the rest of the season. The swans will be arriving soon, so plan your visit!
You'll find the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge just west of I-15, near Brigham City. The 74,000-acre refuge is home to more than 250 bird species throughout the year, as they stop here for a rest during their migrations.
Every year in late October and early November, the refuge becomes a temporary home for thousands of tundra swans. The swans leave their homes in Alaska and head south, with an eventual destination of central California.
Along their journey, they need to rest and recuperate before continuing on. The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is the perfect place for them to fuel up on the sago pondweed that grows in the shallow marshes.
To see these beautiful birds up close, take the 12-mile-long auto tour that circles around the refuge. You can also walk the 1.5-mile long trail around the Wildlife Education Center. Bring your binoculars and a camera.
You might even get lucky and see a trumpeter swan! Though they don't migrate through Utah in the same large numbers as the tundra swans, you can often spot a few who have hitched a ride with a large flock of the tundras.
Listen closely to their calls, and you can tell the difference between the tundra swans and the trumpeters.
During the months of October and November, as many as 60,000 tundra swans hang out here. You'll definitely want to get a look at these gorgeous birds before they move on to the next stop on their migratory journey.
The James V. Hansen Wildlife Education Center is open Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The 12-mile auto tour loop is open daily from dawn to dusk. Admission to the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is free.
Have you ever seen these beautiful swans up close? Share your experiences with us in the comments! You’ll also want to visit Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge’s website, and follow its Facebook page to see what else is new there.
